A book about the innocence of a young African American child in the segregated Deep South. Great for opening up discussions about the importance of diversity and the wrongs done to African Americans. ( )

This is a beautiful story about a young girl and her grandma, who struggled with racism. The young girl wants to know can she walk into town by herself. The grandma had told her she's not big enough to walk into town alone. The young girl knew at that point her grandma was going to tell her favorite story about her past. Grandma snuck into town once with two eggs in her pocket. She had on her Sunday dress with black leather shoes and clean white socks. She was walking and singing at the same time feeling all grown up. She was feeling good until she saw the old chicken man sitting on the porch smiling. Grandma told the young girl how the chicken man could heal the sick by laying his hands on them. He made the blind man see by looking deep in his eyes. Everyone would say he would turn anyone into a chicken if they weren't doing anything right. When the egg cracked in her pocket she took it out, then placed it on the hot cement, and the eggs were frying. As she was walking, she was hot and thirsty, so she saw a water fountain that said, "Whites Only." She knew what that meant, so she took off her shoes and stepped up on the stool because she had on white socks. The white man yelled and pushed her to the ground. The young girl doesn't understand why he did that. All the black people gathered around to drink some water out of the fountain. Once the chicken man came, also, the white man gave up. The chicken man gave her a feather and wiped her tears saying, she did all right. The black people surrounded her and took her home. That's when the whites-only sign was gone forever. This is a powerful and great story to read to children about segregation. The children will understand what black people went through. I believe the theme is segregation because this story takes place when blacks couldn't drink from the whites-only water fountain. ( )

White Socks Only is told from the viewpoint of a grandmother sharing her experience growing up in the south. She explains the first time she went into town and thought that she could drink from a fountain marked "Whites Only" because she was wearing her white socks. This book shows the innocence that young children possess and to further back up the point that racism is taught, not something you are born with! ( )

A young black girl's innocence causes her to get into trouble when she thinks that a "white's only" sign at a water fountain means "white socks only" and proceeds to drink. I think this book sends a strong message that racism is taught, not a trait you are inherently born with. ( )

When grandma was a little girl, she sneaked into town on a hot summer day with two eggs. She wanted to know if it was true that you could fry eggs on a hot sidewalk. When she tried and saw that it was true, she began to head home, but she was so thirsty. When she saw a water fountain that read whites only, she took off her shoes to show her white socks and began to drink from the fountain. A white man approached her and began to yell at her and threatened to whoop her with his belt then more and more blacks began to remove their shoes and step up to the water fountain to drink. The white man got angrier and angrier and began whooping everyone. Then everyone got quiet. The Chicken Man was coming through and he took a sip from the fountain as well. When he was done he pointed a crooked finger at the white man, cleaned off grandma's face, and helped her up. The black people surrounded her crying and hugging her and then brought her home. When mama heard what happened she laughed and decided grandma must be old enough to go into town by herself now that she old enough to do good.

This was a great book. I love child innocence and especially in this case where she thought "Whites only" meant sock color. I also loved how everyone began to step up and drink from the fountain as well to defend the child. I really loved that when the Chicken Man came, everyone got quiet because they knew they were doing wrong and they didn't want to be turned into a chicken. Overall, this was a really cute story that I will definitely keep in mind when teaching about segregation. ( )